Aeronautics and astronautics – Aircraft – lighter-than-air – Airship and fluid sustained
Patent
1996-10-11
1998-09-22
Oberleitner, Robert J.
Aeronautics and astronautics
Aircraft, lighter-than-air
Airship and fluid sustained
244 52, 244 30, 244 26, 244 39, A64B 100
Patent
active
058102868
ABSTRACT:
A stable and highly maneuverable lighter-than-air aircraft is provided. The aircraft includes a body portion which is supported beneath a balloon portion by a stem or axle. The balloon is fillable with a lighter-than-air gas and is sized to accept sufficient amounts of gas to make the aircraft buoyant. The balloon portion is rotationally fixed to the axle and the axle is rotationally journaled in the body. Thus, the balloon portion can rotate relative to the body portion and the body can selectively be rotated relative to the axle. A motor is housed in the body portion and is operable to propel the aircraft in a desired direction. The aircraft is operated such that the balloon portion rotates above the body portion without rotating the body portion. The rotation of the balloon portion provides stability to the aircraft and the ability for the body portion to rotate about the axle enables the aircraft to be highly maneuverable.
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The Bulletin of the Lighter-Than-Air Society, "Buoyant Flight", Jul.-Aug., 1995, (3 pages) William J. White, Airships for the Future, 1975, pp. (front cover) 144, 145 and 146.
Dinh Tien
Oberleitner Robert J.
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